Lifetime treatment of DSM-IV mental disorders in the Saudi National Mental Health Survey

Objectives: To estimate lifetime treatment rates of mental disorders in the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS).

Methods: The SNMHS is a face-to-face community epidemiological survey in a nationally representative household sample of citizens ages 15-65 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 4,004). The World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to produce estimates of lifetime prevalence and treatment of common DSM-IV mental disorders.

Results: Lifetime treatment ranged from 52.2% for generalized anxiety disorder to 20.3% for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, had a median (interquartile range) of 35.5% (30.6-39.5%) across disorders, and was 28.3% for people with any lifetime DSM-IV/CIDI disorder. Half (49.0%) of patients received treatment in the mental health specialty sector, 35.9% in the general medical sector, 35.2% in the human services sector, and 15.7% in the complementary-alternative medical sector. Median (interquartile range) delays in help-seeking after disorder onset among respondents who already sought treatment were 8 (3-15) years. Odds of seeking treatment are positively related to age-of-onset and comorbidity.

Conclusions: Unmet need for treatment of lifetime mental disorders is a major problem in KSA. Interventions to ensure prompt help-seeking are needed to reduce the burdens and hazards of untreated mental disorders.